Let It All Hang Out: Why Line Drying is Better

In my part of the world, it is now officially summer.  And summer usually means sun-filled, warm days.  Those days are p-e-r-f-e-c-t for line drying your clothes.   Instead of firing up the dryer, why not harness the power of the sun and fresh air to dry your clothes?   While it may sound like a major inconvenience, I can attest that it really isn't.  Whenever possible, I hang our family's (clean) laundry out to dry.  Sure, I have a dryer like most modern households, and I use it (as little as possible), so I won't pretend like I don't.  It's kind of a philosophical thing with me, but I won't bore you with that.  Back to hanging up the clothes... It doesn't really take that long to hang them up, and if you do it right, there is no need for ironing (score!!) when you take them down and / or fold them!  So here are some reasons why line drying is better:

Clean Your Air With House Plants

With the cooler weather upon us, most of us will be putting on our storm windows and battening down the hatches at home.  While that may bring nostalgic ideas of chestnuts roasting on an open fire and spending more time indoors,  it also brings up a far more unpleasant topic: Indoor Air Pollution.  Yuck!

On average, we spend 80-90% of our time inside buildings.  And the air we breathe inside is often more polluted than the air outside!  According to the American Lung Association, the air in our homes can contain molds, dust mites, pet dander, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from carpets and glues used in furniture and paints, viruses and bacteria.  

What to do about it, you ask?  Plug in an air freshener?  NO!  Most commercial air fresheners and wax-based candles only cover up the smell-- and they actually ADD to the VOCs and bad nasties that you're breathing in.  Don't cover it up, clean it up-- with house plants.